Seventeen
by abiholmes97
Summary: Based on the song from Heathers, this is how Jess and Jack react to Jack's having to go into Witness Protection. I have altered the story slightly but it's mainly Criminal Minds.
1. Chapter 1

Loads of kids can't wait until they're 17. Senior year, the prospect of college, the sense that your life is about to start.

The year I was seventeen, my whole life was upside down.

_Let's be normal, see bad movies_

_Sneak a beer and watch TV_

_We'll bake brownies or go bowling_

Not long after I had turned 16, Dad and the team had a case that involved a serial killer who drugged and coerced people into committing his crimes. Before they arrested him, he managed to dose Hotch with whatever he used, but he was fine. Peter Lewis was behind bars and the team put the whole thing out of their minds.

That is until a year later.

Thirteen serial killers managed to escape from custody, one of them being Lewis. At first, the team thought they had him in their sight and then he managed to escape them again. For a while, he went quiet but that wasn't to last.

Jack and I had made plans to meet after school and head down to the BAU office together. We were still at different High Schools, but I was in the process of being transferred, owing to Mom and Dave moving in together. I had crossed the city and was waiting outside Jack's school gates. I knew I had plenty of time, Jack had sports after school, so I sat on the grass under a tree and took out my book. This week I was reading Spence's well thumbed copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles. I had just got to the part where Watson found Holmes up on the moor when I got the feeling I was being watched. Looking up slowly as if I was taking a break from reading, I scanned the grounds. There was nothing that stood out of the ordinary, just some families walking along the sidewalk and a few cars parked along the gate. I was about to return to my reading when I heard Jack shout my name.

"Jess!" he called, running over to me.

I smiled, put my book in my bag and walked over, "Hey!"

"Hey!" and he kissed me softly.

"How was practice?" I asked.

"Good." He grinned, "Hit a few home runs!"

I smiled, "Well done. Morgan will definitely be happy!"

"How are you?"

I nodded, "I'm good thanks." I paused.

"What?" asked Jack.

"I just had the funniest feeling that I was being watched. DO you notice anything unusual?"

Jack looked around and shook his head.

I shivered, "We should probably get going."

Jack took my hand and we walked out of the gates. We had a very casual conversation as we made our way through the city and on the train to Quantico. Jack was just filling me in on his history class (they were looking at the Vietnam War and he was debating whether to ask Dad for some information) when his phone buzzed. He looked down at it and his face went white.

"Jack?" I asked concerned, "Jack, what is it?"

He said nothing but showed me the phone. On the screen was a picture of the two of us, kissing in the school yard from half an hour ago. Under the photo was a caption that read _So cute, so precious, but we all know what being in a relationship with the BAU means…_

I looked up at Jack horrified. "Who sent that?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know the number."

"But how did they get your number?"

"I don't know!" Jack sighed, "This is all very weird."

"I know…"

We got off the train and almost ran to the BAU building. Mom was there waiting for us, which was odd. She doesn't normally come and find us, I normally head straight to her office, say hi, dump my bag and go find the rest of the team.

"Are you guys ok?" she called as we made our way up the stairs. She pulled me in for a massive hug and I could feel that she was shaking.

"Yeah we're fine." I replied, "What's wrong mom?"

"We got a photo of you and Jack with a threatening message underneath…"

"We got one too!" said Jack, showing Erin the message. Mom looked at it and grabbed both our elbows.

"Inside!" she said.

_People hurt us  
Or they vanish  
And you're right, that really blows  
But we let go…  
Take a deep breath_

"Mom, what's going on?" I asked, scared now as she led us to the conference room. The whole team was there; JJ, Dad, Spence, Hotch, Tara, Luke and Penelope were all gathered round the table.

"Jack!" exclaimed Hotch, enveloping his son in the same bear hug that Mom had given me. Dad came over and hugged me tightly.

"What's going on guys?" I asked, smiling kindly at my parents as I looked round the table. "I felt like I was being watched as I waited for Jack, he then gets a threatening photo and message, apparently the same one you got and then your all here… what's going on?" I crossed my arms, staring at mom and Dave, almost daring them not to answer me.

Mom sighed, "Do you remember when the team went up to Maine and Aaron ended up being drugged."

I nodded. I had to physically hold onto Jack to stop him from getting on a bus to Maine to be with his dad.

"Well, there was a serial killer, called Peter Lewis…" she continued.

"Although the media referred to him as Mr Scratch…" added Dad.

Mom gave him a look and I smiled slightly, "Anyway, the team arrested him and came back, slightly worse for wear."

"And then there was the incident where Aaron was arrested last year." Continued Dad.

"I'm not going to forget that one in a hurry." Said Jack, smiling at his dad.

"Quite. But it was a whole distraction in order to instigate a mass prison escape. One of those serial killers was Peter Lewis."

"And now we believe he's made it his personal mission to attack this team." Said Aaron sadly.

"Which is obviously a problem." Said Mom. "It's like the Replicator all over again."

"Except this time, he's not keeping it specifically to the team members, rather their families as well." Said JJ.

I looked at Jack and he at me.

"So, what are we going to do?" asked Jack, "Jess and I have school, we start senior year in September and we're both applying for Princeton. We have to do something."

The adults looked at each other nervously.

"What are we going to do?" repeated Jack, crossing his arms.

Again no reply. I scanned the faces. No one, apart from Dad looked at me in the eyes. That's when I knew. They had already come up with a plan, one that neither Jack nor I was going to like. I placed my hand on Jack's shoulder and looked at him sadly.

"Jack…" I began.

"Jessie, we can't just sit here and not do anything. He could easily come for me or you to get at the team…"

"I know, but Jack, I think the adults have decided what they're going to do."

"Why won't they tell us?"

"Because they know that we won't like it…" I said tears in my eyes.

"How bad could it be?" he asked, pulling me close.

"We're putting you and Aaron into Witness Protection." Said Mom.

_Can we be seventeen_

_Is that so hard to do?_

_Let us be seventeen_

_If we still got the right_


	2. Chapter 2

"What?" I asked. I knew that the answer was going to be bad, but I hadn't thought of this.

"That's crazy! I've got school, I've got friends, a life!"

"Jack, I know this is…" Aaron began.

"Don't say this is hard, Dad. I've got to leave everything behind. I've got to leave Jess…" He squeezed me tighter.

"This is hard for me too!" said Aaron, walking up to Jack and placing his arms on his shoulders. I backed into Spencer and rested my head on his shoulder, silent tears falling down my face. "I have to leave my home, my work, the team. But Jack, I promise you I would not do this unless I had to, unless I felt it was absolutely necessary."

"There's got to be another way, any other way…" he looked desperately at the team. JJ and Penelope were crying, Dad looked emotional, Luke and Mom looked serious and Spence was holding onto me. There was no answer. I don't think anyone had one. Then Jack looked at me, "Jess…"

I shook my head and ran out of the room. I had to get away. I had to breathe. I ran through the bullpen and into the corridor outside. Only when I stopped running did I hear the sound of footsteps behind me. I looked and Jack was at my side. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in for a kiss. It was a kiss like we had never had before, full of passion and emotion, of the longing to never end. After what felt like forever, we pulled apart and Jack rested his head on mine.

"I love you Jess, you know that right?"

I nodded, "I love you too." I was well aware that the rest of the team was watching us, but I looked at Jack and sang, "Yeah, we're damaged."

Jack smiled, "Badly damaged" he responded.

"But your love's too good to lose!" we sang together.

"Let's be normal, see bad movies, sneak a beer and watch TV?" I sang. I knew I was mixing the song up, but I didn't care.

"Maybe prom night, maybe dancing?" Jack replied, and tears sprung to my eyes again when I realised we wouldn't be going to prom together.

"Let's be seventeen, is that so hard to do?"

"Let us be seventeen, if we've still got the right!"

"I wanna be with you!"

"I wanna be with you!"

"Tonight!" Jack kissed me again, pulling me close.

When we broke apart, I looked at Jack and said, "Cause you're the one I choose!"

He nodded, "You're the one I choose."

We stood in a hug for what seemed like forever and then Dad and Aaron came out. Dad placed a hand on my shoulder and looked down at me with a look that said it's time. I squeezed Jack hard and he responded and kissed my forehead. I backed away slowly, not taking my eyes off Jack.

Aaron gave me a hug, "Keep your head up Jess." He whispered in my ear, "I'll look after him and we'll be back before you know it."

I nodded unable to speak, tears falling down my cheek. Dad put his hands on my shoulders, and we watched Jack and Aaron leave. As he left through the doors, he looked back, tears in his eyes, placed his hand on his heart and blew a kiss. I fell to my knees and cried. Dad stooped down and held me tightly.

"It won't be like this forever Jess, things will get better. I promise you. I won't stop fighting for them and you shouldn't either. This may feel like the end, but it's not. We've got this and we'll get Scratch and then they can come home, and we'll be a family again."

I nodded, feeling like there may be a way out of this mess. All we had to do was find Scratch.

I mean…

How hard could that be?

THE END


End file.
